And We Shall Shock Them by David Fraser

Author:David Fraser
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781448204823
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

After the fall of Rangoon, Fifteenth Japanese Army was reinforced by two divisions - 18th and 56th-and ordered to advance up the two parallel valleys of the Sittang and the Irrawaddy. From the Sittang General Iida planned to march north-east to Lashio on the Burma-China road. From the Irrawaddy he intended to outflank the right of the Allied forces in that valley, and move on Shwebo. He would thus bring about a great battle of encirclement in the area of Mandalay. Taking advantage of the port of Rangoon, the Japanese could now deploy armoured and motorised columns as far as the roads reached, and their operational movements were likely to be as rapid as their tactical handling was energetic.

The British, deprived of a base, were now faced with one of the most difficult of all operations of war. They had to withdraw, carrying their base with them. An army seeks to withdraw down its line of communication. The British lacked one. Furthermore, their line of movement, were they forced to withdraw towards India, would inevitably be by jungle route and river for part of the way, along communications where no dumping programme by motor transport could be envisaged. Miracles of improvement were being performed on the bullock tracks of the Upper Chindwin, but no road worthy of the name yet connected the Burma Army with India. Alexander initially thought in terms of a withdrawal both to India and to China by the Burma road,1 but the defence of India soon dictated priorities.

Not only the terrain but the climate now increased the troops’ suffering. It was approaching the hottest season of the year. Watercourses were dry and water scarce. Men suffered, and some died, from heat exhaustion and from dysentery. And the May monsoon was approaching, bringing increased malaria and making some routes impassable. Many men survived the retreat utterly broken in health.

Alexander aimed to hold the Japanese on the general line of Prome (in the Irrawaddy Valley), and at Toungoo on the Sittang. If he lost Toungoo, routes lay open through the Karen Hills into the Shan States and to the Burma road. And if he lost either Toungoo or Prome the other would, ultimately, be outflanked. He was now given a general coordinating authority over two Chinese Armies, under the command of Lieutenant-General Stilwell of the United States Army, and he requested the Chinese to be responsible for the eastern flank - for the Sittang, for Toungoo, and the Shan States. He concentrated the British - 1st Burma Division, 17th Indian Division and 7th Armoured Brigade - in the valley of the Irrawaddy, in the general area of Prome. As Commander responsible for all Burma, Alexander needed a Corps Headquarters to command the British and Imperial forces, and on 19th March Lieutenant-General W. J. Slim arrived as Commander BURCORPS.

The Japanese had air superiority once more, and when they resumed the attack northwards their enemies were subjected to that unremitting attention from the air which adds a particular dimension of misery to any retreat.

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